Legacy
by Lady Lark
Summary: Sequel to my story Who Wants to Live Forever. This story tackles the subjects of loss, grief, and moving on. Mild Romance between TM GB and sad VB. MULTI-PART WIP
1. Coming Together

Disclaimer: The Characters in this story are not mine. They belong to Akira Toriyama, Toei, FUNi, and Viz. And the song is "It Can't Rain All the Time" by Jane Siberry it is on the original Crow soundtrack. 

Song lyrics are in Italics and * . . .* 

Thanks to Mia Skywalker and Ane S. Thesia for betaing. 

**Legacy**   
_by Lady Lark_   
~*~   
Chapter 1: Coming Together   
~*~   


  


_*We walked the narrow path,_   
_beneath the smoking skies._   
_Sometimes you can barely tell the difference_   
_between darkness and light.*_

Vegeta flew back to Capsule Corps, tears streaming unchecked down his rugged features. He glanced down at the precious burden he carried in his arms. His mate's body lay there limply, doll-like. She looked so child-like; her features composed, her glorious eyes closed. 

He had loved her eyes. They were truly the windows to the soul. His soul. She could look at him with those piercing blue eyes and see straight past his outward show of stoicism. He had lost himself in those eyes. He had loved to watch them crinkle at the corners and glow softly when she smiled. He had loved it even more when they had flashed in anger. Which was why he had provoked her so often. But he had loved them the most when they darkened to almost black with passion. 

Now they were forever closed. He remembered when he had first noticed her. It was on Namek, and she was cowering behind that cue ball Krillan. But even though she was afraid, he could see that there was steel in her. Even though she was the weakest physically, she was as brave as Kakarot or even himself. 

He was going to miss her. 

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he realized that in his grief he had nearly overflown his home. He flew down and landed lightly on the balcony of their bedroom. 

Bra's voice came out of the shadows, "Is that you, Daddy?" 

Vegeta didn't say anything -- he just walked into the dark confines of their bedroom. 

Bra turned on the light next to the couch where she was seated, illuminating the room. Vegeta noted that Goten was stretched out on the same couch asleep, his head in Bra's lap. She was cradling a small body to her chest and it appeared as if she had been in the middle of a late night feeding. There was a bassinet in the room, which held the other twin. 

The soft light also illuminated Vegeta's tears. 

Bra gasped waking Goten. "D-Daddy . . .?" she stammered. 

Vegeta knew what she was asking. But he couldn't bring himself to say it. The tears continued to flow unabashedly down his cheeks. He turned away from his family and laid the body of his mate on the bed. He arranged her so that her hands were folded neatly on her chest. 

Bra motioned for Goten to sit up and take the baby in her arms. She crossed the room to her parents' bed. She looked down at her mother's face and reached forward a tentative hand and touched the pale cheek – and jerked back her hand at the coldness she felt there. 

She stuffed her fist into her mouth and stood there motionless for a moment. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking her head in denial. 

"Oh, Momma! Why?" she cried. She turned away from her mother's body and flung herself into her father's arms sobbing uncontrollably. "Why? Why did she have to die? She was so young. She had so much ahead of her. Why?" Bra wailed into her father's chest her tears soaking his shirt. 

Vegeta was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. He loved his daughter, but he didn't know how to comfort her. Bulma had always dealt with their children's emotional problems. He looked up at his son-in-law in confusion. 

Goten understood the unspoken plea. He mouthed, "Just hold her." 

Vegeta stiffened then awkwardly put his arms around his daughter and held her close, resting his head against her shoulder. "I – I don't know, princess. I don't know," Vegeta's voice was choked with emotion. 

Father and daughter remained clasped in each other's arms for a few moments before Bra pulled herself away. She wiped the back of her hand against her eyes. Vegeta could see that she was struggling to pull herself together. 

Vegeta pulled back from his daughter and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Tears continued to flow unabated from his eyes, but when he spoke his voice was quiet and steady. "We need to tell the brat about this. Where is he?" Vegeta asked. There was the unspoken question of why Trunks wasn't there. 

"He's at Marron's. I think that he was looking for a distraction from . . ." she paused and regarded her father seriously, "from all this," she finished lamely, moving her arm in a sweeping motion. 

Vegeta grunted. He understood his son's feelings, but he didn't approve. Warriors do not run away from their problems. They stay and face them. 

Goten looked at his father-in-law and spoke in a quiet voice, "I'll call him. I'd also better call Mom and Bulma's other friends. They deserve to know." Goten lay the child in his arms into the bassinet and left the room to make the calls to his family and friends. 

Bra watched her husband leave, then she silently walked over to her sleeping children and sat down next to their bassinet. When she had settled herself, she looked back at her father. "What do you want to do?" 

Vegeta looked at his daughter with a confused look on his face, "What do you mean, brat?" 

Bra sighed, "What do you want to do with her body? Do you want to bury or cremate her?" 

Vegeta considered it. He couldn't see confining his mate to the cold ground. But he also couldn't bring himself to burn her. 

"Let's wait for the brat to get here. He'll have an opinion on this." 

~*~ AN:   
This is the sequel to my story "Who Wants to Live Forever," and like its predecessor is going to deal with some fairly dark subjects. It is the grief process that a famliy goes through when they lose someone. I started this story immediately after I finished WWTLF mostly because I was still grieving and I knew that if I hadn't finished grieving then Bulma's family hadn't either. 

It's now been over 9 months since WWTLF was published. I want to thank everyone for their kind words and sympathy especially relating to my aunt's death. My mom's cancer was removed and she is fine and things are pretty much going ok on the health front. 

I will be publishing this story once a month on the 19th, yes that date is significant. I have another story that I completed that is a little cuter and less angsty, I am just waiting for the beta of it. 

Please let me know what you think. I love to hear from my readers.   



	2. Flying Apart

Disclaimer: The Characters in this story are not mine. They belong to Akira Toriyama, Toei, FUNi, and Viz. 

The song is "It Can't Rain All the Time." By Jane Siberry it is on the original Crow soundtrack. 

Song lyrics are in Italics and * . . .* 

Thanks to Mia Skywalker and Ane S. Thesia for betaing. 

**Legacy**   
_by Lady Lark_   
~*~   
Chapter 2: Flying Apart   
~*~

__

_*Do you have faith_   
_in what we believe?_   
_The truest test is when we cannot,_   
_when we cannot see.*_

Trunks held Marron loosely in his arms. They were snuggled up on the couch in her family room watching television together. The television was tuned to an old black and white movie about two rich brothers who fall for the chauffeur's daughter. Well, Marron was watching the movie, Trunks was watching her. Trunks could watch her for hours. Her elfin face was extremely expressive. At certain points during the film, she would grin like a gamin or scowl viciously. Finally her face settled into a huge grin with crystalline tears streaming down her cheeks. 

"Why are you crying?" Trunks asked confused. There looked like there was nothing to cry over on screen. The young woman was kissing the older brother passionately. 

"Because the story is so sweet and I'm happy that Linus finally woke up and realized that she was for him. Besides don't you know that women cry when they're happy?" Marron snuffled with a smile. 

"You are a nut, love." 

"I know. But that's why you love me," she shot back with a grin. "Well the movie's over, did you want anything from the kitchen. I'm gonna go get some munchies." 

"Whatever you're having is fine with me," Trunks replied stretching out on the couch and picking up the remote. 

Marron leaned over and kissed him lightly, "Be right back." 

Trunks flipped through the stations idly. There wasn't very much on this late at night and he didn't feel like watching paid programming. He finally settled on ZDTV, which had on old sitcom reruns. 

The phone rang. Trunks was a little startled since it was after midnight but figured that it was either Marron's parents or a wrong number. He heard Marron pick up the phone in the kitchen and her muffled voice saying something like. "I'll get them." 

Marron walked back into the family room slowly carrying the portable phone with her. "Trunks, it's Goten," she said softly, handing him the phone. 

Trunks looked at her wildly. He knew what this call was about. He just didn't want to have to face it. It was like so long as he didn't hear the words, the truth wouldn't be real. 

"Trunks, honey, I'll be right here. Just take the phone," she soothed in a low tone. 

Trunks took the headset numbly and put it up to his ear. "Yes." 

"Trunks, you need to come home," his brother-in-law's voice came over to him, but Trunks couldn't bring himself to respond. His heart was numb and he couldn't think. Goten continued as if he hadn't noticed the silence emanating from his best friend, "It's your Mom. I'm sorry Trunks. She . . . she's gone," Goten paused waiting for a response but all he got was silence so he continued. "Trunks, your family needs you right now." 

Those words roused Trunks from his grief-stricken stupor into anger. "You don't need me! We need her! She was the glue that held us together! And now she's gone. . ." Trunks voice caught and he continued in a toneless voice, "Mom's gone. I can't believe it. It's too soon. It's too soon to say goodbye. What are we going to do without her?" Trunks asked rhetorically. Marron moved over to where Trunks was sitting on the couch and put her arms around him to try to comfort him. His body was shaking in grief and rage. Tears were streaming down his pale cheeks and his lower lip was quivering. 

"I don't know, Bro. Go on, I guess. But you need to come home and be here with your family," Goten answered. 

"I don't know if I can face Father right now. He won't understand me and my grief." 

"You might be surprised." 

Trunks snorted at this. 

"In any case, Bra needs you." 

"Bra doesn't need me, she has you now. No one needs me in that house," Trunks said softly, dejectedly. 

"Shut up, Trunks. You're a part of this family and right now that family needs you. So get your ass over here or I'll hand it to ya later," Goten said sharply. He was sick of Trunks' whining. 

Trunks looked hurt and pulled the phone away from his ear. Marron looked at him and gently removed the headset from his hand and put it against her ear. 

"Goten . . ." 

"What, Marron?" Goten asked tiredly. He had to make more phone calls and he wasn't relishing the task. 

"You want him to go home, right?" 

"That's what I've been telling him." 

"I'll make sure he gets there." 

Goten sighed. "I've got more calls to make, Marron. I'm counting on you to get him here. Goodbye." 

"Yeah, goodbye," she said as she hit the 'off' button on the phone. 

She looked at her boyfriend and sighed. He was a wreck. Trunks had pulled his legs up to his chest and was hugging them with his arms. There were tears flowing down his cheeks and he was moaning softly while rocking back and forth. 

"Trunks, love, we've got to get you home." 

Trunks shook his head mutely. 

"Trunks, you have to face this. Running away isn't going to do you any good. I'll be here. I love you, Trunks," she said softly kneeling in front of him. Her right hand went up to his face and began wiping away his tears. 

Trunks looked up at her. His eyes were wide but there was life in them. 

"Did I just hear you say what I thought I heard you say?" he asked hopefully. 

Marron grinned at him and nodded a bit shyly. 

"Thank you, Marron." 

Marron wiped away a few more tears from his face before she spoke. "Trunks, we need to go. You need to be with your family now and I'll be right there with you." 

Trunks nodded and then smiled ruefully looking down at his hands. "I think you had better drive, love. I don't think I could handle it right now." 

Marron looked at his hands, which were shaking violently, and nodded. "I was planning on it. You can always fly back here and pick up your car whenever you're ready." 

"Yeah I can do that," he said softly. 

Marron led Trunks out to her aircar and flew towards Capsule Corps. The trip was conducted mostly in silence. Marron talked a bit but Trunks wasn't up for much in the way of conversation. He was focused inward. He knew he was on the verge of flying apart and the only way he knew to control the pain was to bottle it up. But the pain was too new, too raw, that he could not ignore it. So he was forced to deal with it, and he didn't have any coping mechanisms available at the moment. 

They arrived at Trunks' house a little while later. Marron held his hand as they walked into the house. Somehow her presence made him feel better. 

A light was on in the kitchen and Trunks could hear Goten's voice. It sounded like he was on the phone with one of Z Fighters but Trunks couldn't quite make out the words. Marron led him towards the open doorway of the kitchen and Trunks could make out the remnants of the conversation. 

"Yeah" pause "I know" pause "I'll tell you when I know, okay" a longer pause and then Goten said, "Can you do me a favor, Mom? Can you call Yamcha and Master Roshi? I got a hold of Krillan and Gohan. And I called Bulma's doctors. I still have to call Capsule Corps Headquarters and let them know. But I think I'll do that in the morning." He paused again waiting for Chi-chi's response. "Thanks Mom. Dr. Yamamoto is coming over. He'll fill out the death certificate. I don't think the family could handle a stranger poking her anymore." He paused again as Chi-chi said something. "Mom, I have to go. Bra needs me and the kids need me. I'll call you tomorrow, okay." 

Goten hung up the phone and turned around. 

"Good you made it. Bra and Vegeta are upstairs. The doctor should be here soon." 

Marron nodded and led Trunks upstairs with Goten bringing up the rear. 

A single small lamp next to the couch illuminated the master bedroom. Bra knelt next to the bassinet containing her children. She was humming a lullaby under her breath. Trunks didn't see his father in the poorly lit room, but he felt the Saiyajin Prince's ki. 

Bra looked up at her brother and gave him a sad smile. Her face was streaked with tears but she looked like she was holding together. She stood up slowly and walked over to her brother. 

She gave him a fierce hug before she pulled away and started speaking. 

"We were waiting for you, Trunks. We have to talk about what we are going to do," she stated quietly. 

Trunks ignored his sister and turned to look at the body of the woman lying on the bed, his mind trying to process that his mother was really dead. "I can't believe she's gone," he murmured brokenly. "I thought I was prepared for this. But I'm not." 

"No one is ever prepared, Trunks," Goten spoke from where he stood by the door. "No one. It doesn't matter how much you prepare for it; it is never easy to lose some one you love. But that's the way life works. You have to deal with what it gives you and move on." 

Trunks turned slowly to gape incredulously at his best friend. His mouth worked slowly but no sound managed to escape. His blue eyes darkened and narrowed slightly. Taking a deep breath, he managed to find his voice. "What would you know about losing someone? It's not like your father counts." 

Goten's nostrils flared. "What do you mean he doesn't count?" he asked in a low tone. 

Advancing on the young man before him, he answered harshly. "He wasn't even alive when you were born. And then when he came back, he was only around for ten years before he ran off to train Uub as if he didn't have a care in the world. How often did you really see him even before that? I swear that you spent more time here than with him. Kami, Gohan or my father was more a father to you than your father was. How can you lose something if you never had it in the first place?" Trunks said derisively. He was hurting and lashing out and he knew it, but somehow he couldn't keep the hateful things inside. 

His best friend's face spasmed and he turned away as silence descended. Bra glared at her brother then walked over to her husband. She gently touched his face, crooning softly at Goten. "Shhhhh. I'm certain he didn't mean it." Without missing a beat, she fixed a look at Trunks. "Did he?" 

He locked eyes with Bra, battling silently with her. Bra's jaw tightened, her eyes promising murder if Trunks didn't apologize. But Trunks didn't. How could Goten understand what it was like to lose a parent? He hadn't been as close to Goku as Trunks had been to Bulma. Trunks had relied on his mother to always be there and to be his rock. It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him. He turned away from his sister and brother-in-law and ended up meeting the obsidian eyes of his father. 

Vegeta was regarding his son with an enigmatic expression on his face. Trunks glared at him defiantly, daring him to say something, but the Saiyajin Prince remained silent. Taken aback by his father's tolerance, Trunks attempted to decipher Vegeta's countenance. What he saw there shocked him even more. His father's eyes held deep sorrow and understanding. Vegeta understood what his son was feeling, because he too had lost the foundation of his world. 

Seeing his father's look of compassion broke through Trunks' anger and defiance and he felt ashamed of the things he had said. Walking over to the couch, he sank into it wearily. "Goten, I-" he started, then stopped uncertain what to say. He looked over at Marron and then back at his father before trying again. "Goten, I shouldn't have said what I did. I didn't mean it. You had it tougher than either Bra or I. I just can't deal. Not right now. Life took my mommy away, and I wasn't ready. So I am a little angry at life at the moment." He paused and looked up at his best friend's back. "I'm sorry, Goten." 

The room was plunged into silence once more as all eyes regarded Goten. The object of their scrutiny sighed and turned to face the man on the couch. Trunks noted the red eyes of his friend with a pang of guilt. "I'm really sorry," he repeated softly. 

"I know," Goten stated simply. "It doesn't mean that it hurts any less. I know you're sorry and that you really didn't mean it. But it really hurt losing my dad. I always knew that he was likely to die in some heroic battle or run off to see something shiny at the other end of the universe. But it didn't make the pain of losing him that last time any less. He was still my dad and I loved him." 

"I'm sorry." 

Goten nodded. "It's ok. I just get to beat you up later." 

Trunks smiled. Like his father, Goten had a big heart. 

Bra gave her brother one final glare before switching gears. "The doctor will be here soon as will the rest of mom's friends. I suggest we go downstairs to meet them. But we need to start thinking about what we want to do." 

~*~ 

Author's Notes: 

Sorry this was a little late. No excuses or reasons really, other than I completley forgot the date. It happens at times and I swear my blond roots are showing then (And yes I am a natural blond :-P) My life is becoming uber-stressful and busy. I graduate in 6 weeks and I move to Florida right after that (I live in Michigan). I have also just finished plotting out another story -- Like I don't have enough unfinished works on my plate. It is a Vegeta based story (as most of mine are) but it is going to take place in the Future Timeline. It should be interesting. 

And I will give my readers little Kudo Points if they can figure out the movie that Trunks and Marron were watching in this scene. It is one of my favorites. ^_^ 

Now in the spirit of Selenity Jade -- My responses to my Reviews 

Mademoiselle - You're welcome! Does this chapter help fill your angst quotient?   
Leah Beth - Thank you!   
Papa Bear - I hope this is as good as WWTLF too. 

I look forward to hearing from my readers. Until Next Month!   
  
Ja Ne!   



	3. Laying to Rest

It's me again. This story wouldn't leave me alone. The first part was a catharsis in a way but it opened up a floodgate of other emotions. I have to deal with them and the best way for me is to have the characters deal with them for me. 

Disclaimer: The Characters in this story are not mine. They belong to Akira Toriyama, Toei, FUNi, and Viz. 

The song is "It Can't Rain All the Time." By Jane Siberry it is on the original Crow soundtrack. 

Song lyrics are in Italics and * . . .* 

Thanks to Mia Skywalker, Rhianikki and Ane S. Thesia for betaing. 

**Legacy**   
_by Lady Lark_****

**~*~******

Chapter 3: Laying to Rest

~*~ __

_*I hear pounding feet in the,_   
_in the streets below, and the,_   
_and the women crying and the,_   
_and the children know that there,_   
_that there's something wrong,_   
_and it's hard to believe that love will prevail.*_

The brats had decided to bury her. Vegeta didn't think they could bear the thought of reducing their once proud and forceful mother to a handful of ash. The only demand he had was that his mate be buried beside her mother's rose garden. He wasn't about to have strangers around when he went to go talk to his mate or groundskeepers telling him what he could and could not do. 

The brats had also insisted on a funeral. Vegeta had strongly objected to this concept. The Prince of All Saiyajins did not expose his grief to public scrutiny. But he had been overruled. Bra had gotten rather strident about it, he remembered with a wince. 

****** 

"We will have a funeral, Daddy!" Bra's voice had risen to full-fledged screech. Goten had wisely already taken the babies back to the room he and Bra shared. Trunks had been sitting on the couch next to Marron, her hand tightly held in his. 

"No," Vegeta had replied flatly. 

"Yes. We will. I am not going to deny Momma's friends their chance to mourn just because you are too chicken to show your feelings in public!" 

"Watch your mouth, brat!" 

"No, I won't. I am going to win this one, Daddy! I am your daughter and I inherited yours and Momma's personalities. That includes your stubbornness." 

Vegeta had grunted snidely. 

"Father, I think that Bra is right. Her friends are going to need this. Her family needs this. A funeral is a chance to say goodbye. It gives closure for the survivors," Trunks had said sadly looking up from his and Marron's clasped hands. 

"Daddy, listen to us. You may have already said goodbye to Momma but we haven't. This ceremony is going to give us the opportunity to do this," Bra had said quietly. 

"Another stupid Earth ceremony! How many of these am I going to have to endure! You can have your ceremony, but I will not be there. I refuse to be a part of this." 

Bra then had looked at her brother and nodded. 

"We understand, Daddy," she had said. 

****** 

It was the day of the funeral, and as he had promised, Vegeta had nothing to do with it. Bra and Trunks had decided on the ceremony's contents while Goten and Marron had been relegated to dealing with the logistics of the event. 

They had decided to have a closed casket wake, and the actual ceremony for the interment would take place on the Briefs' property. 

Vegeta stood out on the balcony of the master bedroom and watched the proceedings quietly, his arms crossed. The sky was grey, blanketed in clouds. Occasionally there would be periods of light rain, as if nature herself couldn't contain her grief. 

Bra led the procession across the lawn. She carried her daughter, Bulma-chan, in her arms. The infant's eyes were alert and clear. She had her mother and grandmother's hair, thought Vegeta sadly, but not her beautiful eye color. At only two months it was already obvious that the little girl had inherited her grandfather's coal black eyes. 

Immediately behind Bra came six people bearing his mate's coffin. Vegeta scowled at some of the choices for the pallbearers. He had no objection to Gohan or Goten. Goten was family now and he made Bra happy in addition to being an adequate sparring partner. Gohan had been Bulma's friend and was another tie to Goku, Bulma's best friend. Marron, he understood. She represented Krillan who was too old and too short to fill the position. She was also Trunks' mate, or would be soon if he knew his son. 

No, it was the other female pallbearer who Vegeta objected to. Android Eighteen had volunteered to carry the sad burden and Bra had agreed. Vegeta knew that the android and his mate had become friends but he still hadn't forgiven the cyborg for defeating him all those years ago. 

He also objected to one of the male pallbearers for entirely different reasons. Yamcha was almost as devastated by Bulma's death as Trunks or Vegeta. He had never married and Vegeta knew why. Bulma had been his first love and even after their relationship had ended he still had hoped that she would come back to him. But Yamcha had been immature and commitment shy when the Saiyajin Prince had entered the picture all those years ago. In a way, Vegeta felt sorry for the weaker fighter. Yamcha always came out second best, a feeling Vegeta could empathize with. But he still did not want the other man carrying his wife. 

Trunks was the final pallbearer. Bra claimed that it flew in the face of tradition to have him carry his mother's coffin. But Trunks insisted. He said that since his mother had carried him emotionally and physically for years, he owed it to her to carry her just this once. Vegeta had sided with his eldest. 

Chi-chi followed the coffin with her grandchild, Vegeta-chan, in her arms. The little boy had his maternal grandfather's face and eyes. His hair color, however, had come from his father and the style was eerily similar to Kakarot's own halo of spikes. 

Videl, Krillan, Oolong, Master Roshi, Tien and Chaotzu were next. Behind them, each carrying a single white rose, came a whole throng of people who Vegeta didn't know. He assumed that they were Capsule Corps employees. This huge crush of people was why he didn't want a ceremony. Mourning was a private thing for him. He didn't see the need for all of this public outpouring of grief. 

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at a small flash of light. A few reporters were mixed in with the mourners. He couldn't do anything about them now. He vowed that they wouldn't leave the premises with their cameras and tape recorders intact. 

Bra stopped before the rectangular hole in front of the rose garden. The pallbearers gently lowered the coffin into the ground and then stood protectively around the grave, hands clasped in front of them. 

Bra handed her daughter to Goten before she spoke. 

"We come today to honor this magnificent woman. She has touched so many of our lives with her inventions and her intuition. She was a mother, a fighter, and an inventor. But most importantly she was a woman. She was a woman who loved freely and completely. 

"Bulma Vegeta-Briefs was a woman like no other. Even while fighting the most difficult of battles, she never gave up hope. She believed in leaving the world better than she found it and I believe she succeeded." 

Vegeta scanned the crowd during his daughter's speech. Krillan was silently wiping away tears. Yamcha was openly crying. Chi-chi and Goten were soothing the babies, while trying to listen to the rest of Bra's speech. 

"But most of all, my mother loved her friends and her family. She fought to the end with her disease so she could spend as much time with us. Now her battle has ended. But take heart for I feel that she will be with us still. Either through her inventions which have touched billions, or through her family who will touch the stars." 

Trunks stepped up to his sister and addressed the crowd. 

"We ask that as you pass her grave that you place the rose in your hands in it so that my mother will be surrounded by your final thoughts for all eternity." 

Chi-chi stepped forward and began the procession. Vegeta could see that her lips were moving but he couldn't hear the words. Then the rest of Z team followed each saying their final good-byes as they threw their flowers into the grave. 

A flash of movement caught Vegeta's eye. The reporters, having got their story, were moving towards the grounds' exit. 

Vegeta frowned and took off. The three reporters, two middle-aged and one young man, rounded the side of the house and stopped. The Saiyajin stood against the exit with his arms crossed and a fierce scowl on his face. 

"Wh-what do you want?" one of the middle-aged ones stammered. 

Vegeta gave him a withering glare. "You have desecrated my wife's funeral with your actions. I will remedy that. You will hand over your recording devices. And you will not speak of what you saw here." 

"Yeah right, jackass. If I believed that you were Ms. Briefs' husband -- which I don't -- I still wouldn't hand them over. The people have a right to know what happened here and who attended. And speaking of which, you weren't there, so you must not be her husband," the younger reporter said cockily. 

Vegeta turned his icy glare to the hapless man. He didn't say anything; he just stalked over to the man and calmly punched him in the face. He picked up the 35mm camera and crushed it in his hand as easily as if it was made of paper. 

"Do any of the rest of you want to insult me or my mate?" 

The other two looked at each other and shook their heads. 

"Good. Now give me the other recording devices." 

"No!" shouted a voice from behind the Saiyajin prince. 

Vegeta turned to face the young reporter who was sitting up holding his jaw. 

"You can't bully the press. We have rights and we will print whatever we want! You have no say in this." 

"Wrong. Either you will give me your word and your devices or I will kill you. It is your choice. I am comfortable with either option," said Vegeta in an offhand tone. 

The three reporters gasped and the older two started to back away slowly. The younger reporter glared challengingly at Vegeta. 

"You wouldn't dare . . ." 

"I wouldn't, would I? Boy, I have destroyed entire planets. You are nothing," Vegeta sneered. 

"I don't believe you," the man replied pugnaciously. 

"So be it." 

Vegeta started to power up. He gathered a small blue ball of ki in his hand and readied it to throw at the young reporter. 

"Stop!" cried one of the middle-aged reporters. 

Vegeta flicked his eyes over to the man. "Why? He has insulted me and my honor. He deserves to die." 

"I give you my word, nothing will be published about what happened today. I am his superior, Micah Bates. I can do this. I'll just tell my editor that the family forbade reporters at the ceremony." He then chucked dryly. "It would even be the truth, if you are Ms. Briefs' husband." 

Vegeta let the ball dissipate. 

"Go. But leave your devices here." 

Bates nodded and motioned for the other two to leave their remaining recording equipment on the ground. 

"Are you actually Ms. Briefs husband or was that a line of bull?" the younger reporter asked getting to his feet. 

Vegeta scowled at the man but answered in a quiet voice, "She was my mate for longer than you have been alive, boy." 

"But that's not possible. You look younger than me!" 

"Do you still wish to die today, boy?" 

"No." 

"Then be silent." 

Bates stepped in, "I apologize for him, Mr. Briefs. I promise that he will be punished." 

Vegeta nodded once then motioned for them to leave. He glared at the young reporter as he watched the trio leave. 

"Now I know why the woman hated them. They are 'annoying, obnoxious bastards.'" He paused. "I wonder why she said I was just like them?" 

~*~ 

AN:   
Oh my, am I so sorry for the delay. I moved. As in picked up, graduated college, and drove over 1200 miles to a new state and an entirely different mindset. I've just gotten back on the internet on my computer after being forced to put up with libraries and Kinkos for my e-mail fix. I couldn't even read fanfic! Gah, I so do not want to go through that again. 

Also on April 9, 2002, My dog Tedi died of cancer. Like the briefs family, we knew she had cancer and we tried our hardest to fight it. But it became too much. The cancer metacized in her bones and she developed a tumor in the vertbrae of her neck. I miss her. A lot. 

You'll notice that I added another beta reader to my roster. Rhianikki is somewhat new to the fanfic scene, she hasn't published anything yet. Don't worry I am working on her. But she is an excellent beta-reader. 

Now in the spirit of Selenity Jade and Mia Skywalker review responses. 

Selenity Jade -- I'm glad that I effected you so. I don't update more because it takes me a long time to write these chapters. Each chapter is a catharsis and an emotional roller coaster and while writing the story I am often in tears because of the emotions behind the words. As for the reviews, I would rather have one good solid review then 100 "Cool" or "Great" although I'd be lying if I said I didn't like all reviews that I get. *^_^* 

Sue -- Thank you for your kind words. This story should have a lot of angst but hopefully a lot of hope too. It is about the grief process (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) and it is about life because Death is a part of life as much as we hate it when it effects us. 

ZEmpress -- You get the kudos for being the first to figure out that the movie was Sabrina. I love that movie, both of them. Although overall I like the remake better (With the exception of Audrey hepburn). 

Hannio -- You're right Trunks shouldn't have attacked Gohan like that. But it's something people do. They get hurt and they lash out at the first thing availible. Out of all of the characters, Trunks is the most likely to do that. Watch the Buu saga and see how he reacts to Vegeta's death there. He does something very similar, if only briefly. 

Lady Bulma -- Thank you fo your review. But I couldn't update, I kinda lost my computer for 6 weeks. :-P Oh well. Hopefully this chapter will please you. 

Until the 19th, when I PROMISE I will update. That chapter is done, but for a final revision. 

Ja Ne! And remember to review!   



	4. Picking Up the Pieces

Disclaimer: The Characters in this story are not mine. They belong to Akira Toriyama, Toei, FUNi, and Viz. And the song is "It Can't Rain All the Time" by Jane Siberry it is on the original Crow soundtrack. 

Song lyrics are in Italics and * . . .* 

Thanks to Mia Skywalker, Rhianikki and Ane S. Thesia for betaing.   
  
  
  


**Legacy**   
_by Lady Lark_   
~*~   
Chapter 4: Picking Up the Pieces   
~*~ 

~*~ 

_*Oh it won't rain all the time._   
_The sky won't fall forever._   
_And though the night seems long,_   
_your tears won't fall forever.*_

The sky was grey with heavy, ponderous clouds. These clouds intermittently produced a soft gentle rain, but this was no warm summer drizzle but bone-chillingly cold showers that hinted of a winter soon to come. 

Bra rubbed her arms as she stood at the open doorway to the balcony off of the master bedroom. It had been raining ever since the funeral a week ago and the weather showed no signs of letting up. It was as if nature itself mourned. The aqua-haired woman brushed away the tears that threatened to well over and turned back to survey the bedroom. 

The room itself lay virtually untouched since the night of her mother's death. The various tables lay strewn with half-completed inventions, blueprints and brightly colored puzzles. The floor by both the bed and the couch was covered with jumble of baby toys and wipe rags. Only the door to Bulma's closet gave evidence that someone had entered the room, it stood ajar the clothes opened to an empty hanger. Her father refused to sleep here now, instead choosing to sleep in the room he had occupied before he mated her mother. 

Both Trunks and Vegeta would have chosen to just seal off this room, but Bra couldn't bear to do that. It would be like sealing off her own mother and she loved her mother too much to do that. So she had been elected to be the one to sort through the room. She was grateful that she didn't need to do this for her mother's lab and office. Bulma, as if sensing her family's reluctance to deal with her death, had cleared out both areas before her illness confined her to her bed. 

Where to start? That was the conundrum. Resolutely, she walked over to the couch and bent down. Scooping up the toys and rags, she strode to the hallway and dumped them just outside the door. She repeated the process with the pile beside the king-size bed; she would put them away in the nursery later. 

She moved over the card table beside the couch next. On it lay a half-completed jigsaw puzzle. She smiled sadly at the picture on the box, a conglomeration of a bead and embroidered flower gardens surrounded by loose beads and unknotted string. It was her mother's favorite because she said the picture reminded her that great and beautiful things came from chaos. That all you needed to make beauty and order from it was a little ingenuity and hard work. Picking up the connected pieces, Bra crumpled them slightly in her hand and broke them apart, returning the incomplete pictures to a jumble of chaos once again. Carefully she swept the unattached pieces into the box and affixed the cover. Placing the box on top of the small stack of other puzzles, she picked them up and moved them into the hall to await the journey back to the cupboards in the rec room. 

Straightening up, she looked back into the room and sighed. She had barely gotten started and already she was feeling drained. Drawing a deep breath, she moved next to the dresser and vanity table. The dresser held Bulma's jewelry case and an assortment of perfumes and scents. The vanity was strewn with make-up and brightly colored scarves. Pulling open the top drawer, Bra saw that it was filled with hair ornaments and brushes. 

Unable to hold herself together, the young woman broke down, sinking to her knees in her grief. Fat, hot tears rolled down her cheeks and splashed onto her heaving chest. She couldn't handle this any longer, she just couldn't. Placing her face in her hands, she wept. 

She didn't know how long she had been kneeling there weeping, when she felt warm, strong arms snake around her from behind and a soft tenor start to croon tonelessly. 

"Shhhhhhh. Shhhhhhh, Bra. It'll be alright, I promise you," her mate whispered tenderly, while stroking her forearms. 

She turned in his embrace and pressed herself against his chest, soaking his white T-shirt with her tears. "No it won't. Nothing will 'be alright' again! My Mama is dead and my babies will never know her," she wailed. 

Goten stroked her back and hair, willing her his strength. He knew that she hadn't cried since that first night when she had collapsed into her father's arms. From then, she had held everything in, becoming the family's rock. But Goten knew her and loved her more than his life, and he knew without knowing how he knew that she hadn't grieved yet. So he let her weep for a few minutes before replying to her last statement. 

"Shhhhh. Don't say that, love. I know that everything seems wrong now, but they will get better. Our children with know your mother, we'll make sure of it," he soothed quietly. 

"But they won't KNOW her!" she cried piteously into his shirt, banging one of her fists on his chest for emphasis. 

"Ooof. Watch it, hun, you might bruise me," he teased gently. 

The thought of her bruising him with that little punch struck her as incongruous and unbidden a little giggle slipped past her lips. 

"That's my girl," he lightly encouraged, continuing to stroke her back. Abruptly she shifted in his embrace and he was no longer stroking her back something far more interesting. A light flush stained his cheeks, but his mate didn't notice, she was moving to stand up. 

Gently, he helped her to her feet. She moved once more to look at the vanity table, fingering something in the top drawer. 

"This is what made me lose it, Goten," she said in a subdued voice, pulling out a mother-of –pearl hair clip. "She was saving these so that she could wear them in her hair again and she never got the chance . . ." her voice caught in her throat and tears once again streamed from her blue eyes. 

Goten wrapped his arms around her and looked at her in the reflection of the vanity table mirror. "You can't look at it that way, love. Your mom was an amazingly optimistic woman. The fact that she saved these things instead of throwing them out tells me that she had hope for the future. That things would get better someday," he paused briefly and met her eyes in the mirror. "You have to believe that too, Bra. Things will get better. You just gotta have hope," he stressed earnestly. 

She turned and slipped her arms around his neck, her azure eyes meeting his obsidian ones. "I know in my head. My heart, though, my heart can't seem to understand," she whispered softly. 

"Give it time. Just give it time." 

"I'll try," she promised sadly. 

He pulled her tighter into his arms. While she breathed deeply and tried to get a grip on her emotions, he surveyed the room. "Hey, Bra?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Ya want help sorting through this room?" 

She shook her head and looked up at him. "No, thanks. I need to do this by myself." 

He looked into her eyes piercingly and assessed that she was telling the truth. "Okay," he said finally. 

She gave him a watery smile. "Thanks Goten." He grunted noncommittally and waited for her to continue. He didn't have long to wait; he heard her swallow audibly before speaking, "Just don't go very far. I might need you again." 

"I'll be here," he replied solemnly giving her a soft kiss. 

As he left the room, Bra hazarded a glance out the balcony doors and she thought she saw a glimmer of sunshine. 

~*~ 

AN: Whoa! It's been a while since I posted. Like months. A lot has happened to me in that time -- I found and then lost a job due to the econmoic problems. I found a stray kitten and adopted him. My roommate's two dogs came down from Michigan and are now living with us. All in all we have a pretty full apartment. I've worked two conventions also since I last posted -- Otakon in Security Ops and AnimeFest Orlando as The Guest Wrangler. 

The other big thing going on with me is my New Mailing list. DBZFanficGems -- A reader's list for good DBZ fanfiction. ^_^ 

Review Replies: 

Sue -- You are right. Bulma would want her family to move on and hopefully this story will show how they do that while still honoring her memory. 

Selenity Jade -- *Hands you a tissue* Thanks 

Diamond Girl -- Thank you for your review and your sympathy. 

Lady Bulma -- Thank you for everything. I am working on more stories. Another songfic (I like those) and another character vignette of Vegeta. I hope to have them out soon along with updates of my other stories. Now I just have to stop reading so damn much and write more. 

Phoenix Feather -- Wow you reviewed all three chapters I am honored! Each of the Different characters is in a different stage of the grief process many of them bounce back and forth between the various stages. 

To all my readers -- Thanks for reading ^_^ 


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